Don't pay heed to slander: Mamata

Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) With her government drawing flak from the governor, media and a section of the civil society over law and order issues, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday asked the people not to pay heed to "slander" and "misinformation campaigns".

"None of you should pay heed to any slander. And don't indulge in slander either. Don't pay heed to misinformation campaigns," Banerjee said in a meeting at Asansol of Burdwan district.

Banerjee's comments came a day after Governor M. K. Narayanan virtually rapped her government over the clashes between Communist Party of India-Marxist and Trinamool Congress workers, saying it was akin to "some sort of goondaism" which was "not acceptable".

He asked the police and the administration to function impartially in arresting the guilty and pointed at the police's "weaknesses" in tackling the clashes saying it was a "major law and order situation".

A large section of the civil society - including the likes of educationist Sunanda Sanyal, writers Tilottama Majumdar and Suchitra Bhattacharya and painter Samir Aich - who had backed Banerjee during the final years of her fight in unseating the erstwhile Left Front government, have also been sharply critical of her administration.

Some television channels and a section of the print media have been coming out with reports which have not exactly been music to the ears of the chief minister.

Speaking at the Asansol rally, Banerjee also instructed police to ensure that nobody was able to create lawlessness by using the coal mafia.

"I will not tolerate any breach of peace, indiscipline. I have instructed the police," she said.

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